Tip plate for alpha tooth



y 1931. A. s. WELLS 1,803,579-

TIP PLATE FOR A TOOTH Filed March 31, 1926 A T TOENE Y6 Patented May 5, 1931 Amos s.- wEL-Ls, or lvrinnnnrotrs, mma om 'rrrrila'rn Foa'aamom v Application alednaiae 1926. "serial magma. j

This invention relatesto a backing for an artificial tooth} It is now one practice in dentistry to use an artificial tooth or tooth facing, usually made from porcelain, and E to build a tip there'onto fit the tooth cavity of the patient.' 'After' the tip has been built on the facing'and baked there'on, so as to be hardened; the backing is" placed on the toothv facing and either forms the atm taching means for the tooth or hasthe'at taching or carrying plate or arm for the tooth secured thereto. The teeth facings are now commercially made and sold and: include various forms, one of which has a recess in' its rear flat surfa'ce,'said recess comprising an enlarged inner portion and a reduced portion or passage leading to said surface.

a backing for a tooth, having means adapted to enter the recess therein and be secured;

in said recess. 7 t v 1 p 1 It is another object of the invention to provide a backing it'or'an artificial tooth,"

which tooth; has a recess therein with an enlarged inner portion comprising} a plate anda locking'means 'projectin'g fro m the.

plate, which locking an "is adapted to enter the recess and has a shoulder formed 36 secured in place. 7 V v V 7 t It. is further object of the invention to provide a backin for an artificial tooth,

which'tooth has "a rear flat surface and said recess and be moved therein by a movement substantially. perpendicular tosaid surface, the stem portion of saidT-shaped head flarin' towards said plate and subtting the outer side of-said' stantially recess. 7 I a I It is also an object of thisinvention to provide a novel and efficient basemember for: the tip "of an artificialltooth.

W It is still another object or the avaaa n is a object of this jinventio'n to provide thereon facing said plate, whereby a hard-z ening material can be placed insaid recess around said locking means and the latter be I portion 5511. While- -sfaid enlarged portion to 'rovide a bacln'ng for a tooth having sur ace adapted to contact the rear flat-sur face of a tooth facing and preferablyhaving means for; entering the recess therein, togetheri'with' a surface adapted to engage the 55 bottom of "-the"tip :andgpreferably having means engaging and locking the tip or'ti' base in POSlillOILn p 1 i I These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description -made in connec tionf. with the accompanying drawings, in which like :reference. charactersrefer to similar p rts throughout the several views and in WhlCll'I- V 'FigLl is e view in frontfelevatibn of the backing;# i a L .p

Fig. 2 i atop edge View of the backing; ig. 3 is a View in side elevation of a tooth;

with "ajtipj-built thereon, showing the back- 7Q- ing in: place therein p Y F-ig ism-horizontal section taken on' line*44- of Fig, 3, as indicated by 'the" arrow, .5 Fig. 5 is avert-ical section taken on line 5*5 of'Fig. '3, as indicated by' the arrow T Fig: 6 is a front View of amodifie'd' form of backing used; f Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken sub stantially on line of Fig, 6,-also Show} ing a tooth to which-the" backing applied in vertical-section; w

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line" 8 -8 of Fig. 6 as indicated by thearrows; and Y 9 v r Fig.-' 9 is a sectiontaken on 1ine 9==9of Fig; fflas indicated by the-arrows. 1 i-Referring to the drawings, particularly- 'l3igs.f1 to"5, an artificial-tooth or tooth he mg '5' as shown, such as now commercially madeand sold. This tooth facing has an upper flat surface indicated by the dotted line 6 and on this surface the tip 7 is: built, 1 adaptedto fit into the tooth-cavity of=t he patient. 'S'a'id tip 7, is shown as having a form orba'se'plate' 8 therein The facing 5 tending into the'tooth or facing from this" surface, which recess has an inner enlarged may be made of various shapes, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is made from a thin metal plate, usually platinum or palladium. The member 9 has a flat platelike portion 9a adapted to fit against the surface 5a of a tooth facing, which portion 9a has an outline substantially the same as said tooth facing 5. Said portion 9a has rojecting at its top and centrally thereof, a locking member or means 96. Portion 96 has flanges 96 projecting at each side'at its inner end, which form the shoulders 90, facing toward the portion 9a. It will be noted that the sides of the portion 96 diverge toward the portion 9a. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the sides of the portion 96 are spaced, thus leaving a recess 90K therebetween. It will be noted that the locking means 96 is in effect 'T-shaped, with the stem of the T flaring i the shoulders 90.

toward the plate 9a.

In operation the member 9 will be placed against the surface 5a of the tooth facing 5 and the member 96 will enter the recess 5?), The member 96 is so arranged that the outer surface of its sides, adjacent the plate 9a, substantially engages the sides of the passage 50 and it may be stated that the transverse dimension of said member 98 at its inner end through the flanges 9b is substantially the same as the width of said member 96 adjacent the plate 9a. Before the backing is placed against the tooth 5, a plastic material which is adapted to harden, such as cement, is placed within the recess 5?). When the locking member 96 enters said recess, said material or cement shown as 10 will surround the inner portion of member 96 and will engage and abutagainst When this material hardens, therefore, it will be seen that portion 96 will be secured or locked within the recess 5b.- The recess 9d will also be filled with cement 11, if desired.

Referring to Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, a modified form of backing is shown comprising a plate 12 having projecting from the front side thereof a rib 12a, which rib 12a has a head at its outer side substantially T-shaped and is shaped in cross section substantially like the rib 96 shown on the backing 9, except that the rib 12a is shown solid instead of formed by a folded plate. It is onepractice, when the tip 7 is formed on the tooth, to have the tip 7 as shown in Fig. 3 provided with the base plate 8. This plate 8 is sometimes left permanently on the tip and is sometimes removed before the tooth isfinished, and the backing applied to the tooth. If the base 8 is to be removed it is made of very thin plate usually of about l/lOOOth of an inch in thickness. If the base is to remain permanently on the ti) it is usually made of about 12/1000ths 0 an inch in thickness. The base 8 as shown in Figs. 5 and 9 comprises a plate having fiat side portions and means thereon extending into the tip and adapted to engage with a backing for the tip. While such means may take various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as comprising a tapered rib 8a extending longitudinally of base 8 and tapered toward the end adjacent the tooth facing. As illus trated, the rib 8a is of greater dimensionat its upper end and has a reduced portion or ing ribs 8?) extending longitudinally thereof at each side of the central rib 8a. The backing 12 has a plate portion 12?) extending at an angle thereto, which angle is the same as the angle between the rear surface 5a of the tooth facing 5and1the bottom flat surface of the tip 7. The portion 12b of the backing 12 has means thereon adapted to engage and interfit with the base of the tip and while such means might be made in various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as comprising a rib 120 of general frusto-conical shape and having a reduced portion 12d extending from its lower side and uniting it with the plate portion 12?).

In operation after the tip has been built up and baked with the tooth facing so as to form' a completed ti and facing, the backing 12 will be applied to the tooth. The backing will be applied by sliding the rib 120 into the channel in the rib 8a of the tip. If the base 8 is left permanently on the tip, the rib 120 is made to fit the openings in the rib 8a and the front surface of the plate 12 contacts the rear surface of the tooth facing 5. The rib 12a enters the recess in the facing and the cement 10 is placed about the rib 12a as already described with the backing 9, so that the rib 12a is secured and looked very firmly to the tooth facing 55. The rib 120 as stated interlocks with the rib 8a and the tip is thus also additionally attached to the backing. If the base 8 of the tip is removed the rib 12 will fit into the channel left in the tip when the plate is removed and this channel will be made so as to fit the rib 120. With such a backing shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, therefore, both the facing and the tip are secured to the backing and a very strong structure is produced. The backing 12 as stated carries the The base 8 is also provided with small upstandsta geremembers used to attach the tooth to other sound teeth of the patient It will be noted.

extending into the recess. It may be stated that heretofore it has been necessary to have a securing member onthe tip, whichtip was made separate from the facing and the securing member would thus move into'the channel and the tooth facing from one end thereof and not from the rear; With applicants construction the rib l2ais arranged so that it can move into the recess in the tooth facing in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rear fiat surface of the tooth facing. i c c From the above description it will be seen that applicant has provided a. very simple and efiicient backing for a tooth and securing means therefor. The backing andlocking means as stated can'beplaced on'the tooth by being moved substantially normal to the surface 5a, and the locking means thus does not have to enter the recess 5d and channel 50 from one end thereof. After It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in theform', de-

tails, arrangement and proportions of theparts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable'of carrying out the objects above set forth, in.- the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined'in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A backing for anartificial tooth, which i tooth has a recess therein with a passage leading therefrom of less dimension than said recess,comprising a member, andmeans projecting from saidmember adapted to enter said recess through said passage, having a laterally extending flange at each side at its inner end, the widthofsaidmeans across said flanges being slightly less than the width of said passage, whereby a hardening material may be placed in said recess and said means will be locked therein. 7

2. A backing for an artificial tooth which tooth has a flat surface and a recesstherein with a passage of reduced size leading there from, comprising a member adapted to fit against said surface and carrying a projection adapted to enter said recess,'said projection having an, enlarged portion at its in Her end having a width slightly less than the width of said passage, and a reduced portion adjacent said enlarged portion flaring outwardly from said enlarged portion as substaatiail'yfitting said pa sa'ge attire outer'sidethereot i a .A ,-backiiig for artificial teeth, which teeth has asurraeeiwith a recess therein with a a passage of r dii'ced size leading therefrom, comprisifigaL-meiiiberadapted to' fit. against saidjtooth, and having a T-shaped head projecting intdsaid -recess and having a width slightly less than the widthof said passage and' adapted to enter the same through said passage in a direction at right T angles to said surface.

' 4;. The structure set forth in claim 3, the

stem portion of said T-shaped head flaring outwardly towards said member and sub- 'stantially filling said passage at its outer edge. 7 3

5. A backing for an artificial tooth, which tooth has a recess therein, with a passage leading therefrom .-of less dimensionithan said recess, comprising a backing member and a rigid means projecting from said member adapted to enter'said recess through said passage, said means having a base portion extendingalong said member throughout its length having a width substantially the same as the width of said passage, said means'hav ing a projection forming a shoulder facing towards said backing member. I

6. A backing for-an artificial tooth, which tooth has a flat surfaceand a recessxtherein with a reduced passage leading from said recess to said surface comprising'a backing member having a locking means thereon with an enlargement at its inner end projecting at either side thereof and having a surface facing said flat surface, said enlargement having a transverse dimension slightly less than the transverse dimension of said passage and adapted to be received in said recess and be moved thereinto through said passage in a direction substantially perpendicular to said surface to position it in its locking position i 7. Abase for 'a tip of an artificial tooth comprising a plate of substantially the. width ofsaid tip having a flat surface over which said tip is built, said plate having a rib extending longitudinally thereof having an enlarged'head and said plate having projections extending from said surface at the sides of and spaced from said rib and embedded in said tip. c V

8. A base for a'tip of an artificial tooth comprising a member having a surface on which the tip is built of substantially the width of said tip, said member having means formed thereon and rigid therewith embedthrough said passage of less dimension, said means having a laterally extending portion at each side at its inner end, the width of said means across said portions being slightly less than the Width of said assage.

In testimony whereof I a x my signature.

AMOS s. WELLS. 

